5月12日 (May 12)

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
Women’s World Chess Championship match game 6; 重庆 (Chóngqìng), May 12, 2018
Catalan Opening E01

New city, new sponsor. And so, byebye to 上海 (Shànghǎi) and “中国移动” (“China Mobile”), and hello to 重庆 (Chóngqìng) and 莱茵体育 (Lander Sports). 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bd6 6. Nf3 0-0 7. 0-0 c6 8. Nc3 dxc4 9. Bg5 Nbd7 10. Ne4 Be7 11. Nxf6+ Bxf6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Qc1 e5 14. Qxc4 Re8!? Quite possibly a novelty. If 14. ... Nb6 then 15. Qb4 exd4 16. Nxd4 with an edge, Belous – Grandelius, 22nd International Chess Festival, Abu Dhabi 2015. 15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Qb3 Re7 17. Nd4 Bg4 18. f3 Bd7 19. Qc3. If 19. Qxb7 then 19. ... Rae8 with plenty of compensation for the Pawn. 19. ... Rc8 20. Rad1 c5 21. Nc2 b5 22. b3 Qb6 23. Kh1 b4 24. Qd2 Bc6 25. Ne3 g6 26. Qc2? Here 26. f4 Nf7 27. Nc4 appears to offer better opportunity for keeping balance.

26. ... c4! 27. Nxc4 Nxc4 28. Qxc4. Not 28. bxc4? because of 28. ... Bb5 entering her birth city in triumph. 28. ... Bb7 29. Qf4 Rxe2 30. Rd7 Rf8 31. Rd2 Rxd2 32. Qxd2 Rd8 33. Qf4 a5 34. h4 h5 35. Kh2 Ba6 36. Rg1? Really a “mysterious” Rook move, especially considering that 36. Re1(!) appeared so natural; for instance: 36. ... Bc8 37. g4 hxg4 38. fxg4 Be6 39. h5 Qd4 40. Re4! Qd2 41. Qf6 gxh5 42. Rxe6! fxe6 43. Qxe6+ and draw by perpetual check. 36. ... Qd6. 36. ... Rd4! might have been even stronger. 37. Qg5 Qd5 38. Qf6 Rd6 39. Qb2 Re6 40. Bf1? This loses a Pawn without anything else but a Queen and Rook ending a Pawn down, which could even be eventually drawable, but that it’s not easy to draw at all. If it hadn’t been the 40th move, 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) would have probably played to hold her discomfort to the best minimum possible by 40. Rc1 eventually followed by Rc1-c2. 40. ... Qxf3 41. Bxa6 Rxa6 42. Rg2 Rf6 43. Qd4 Kh7 44. Qb2 Rf5 45. Qc2 Qe3 46. Re2 Qd4 47. Kg2 Qd5+ 48. Qe4 Qd1 49. Re1 Qd2+ 50. Re2 Qc1 51. Re1 Qb2+ 52. Qe2 Qf6 53. Rc1 Re5 54. Qf3 Qe7 55. Rc2 Kg7 56. Qd3 Re3 57. Qd4+ Kh7 58. Rf2 Qb7+ 59. Kh2 Re1 60. Rg2 Qe7 61. Rf2 Re2 62. Qf4 Kg8 63. Qf3 Rxf2+ 64. Qxf2 Qe4 65. Qd2 Kg7 66. Qb2+ Kf8 67. Qd2 Qe5 68. Qd8+ Kg7 69. Qd2 Qc3 70. Qf2 Kf8 71. Qe2 Qd4 72. Qc2 Qe5 73. Qf2 Ke8 74. Qg2 Qc5 75. Qa8+ Ke7 76. Qe4+ Kd8 77. Qd3+ Kc7 78. Qd2 f5 79. Qe2 Kd7 80. Qd3+ Ke7 81. Qe2+ Kf7 82. Qd2 Ke6 83. Qe2+ Kd5. Black’s King starts a long journey into the enemy field, absolutely needing a win. White must hope she can prevent it from happening, since any Queen exchange would be fatal for her. 84. Qf3+ Kd6 85. Qd3+ Kc7 86. Qd2 Qe5 87. Qf2 Kc6 88. Qc2+ Qc3 89. Qe2 Kd5 90. Qb5+ Qc5 91. Qd3+ Qd4 92. Qf3+ Qe4 93. Qd1+ Kc5 94. Qd2 Qf3 95. Qc2+ Kd4 96. Qd2+ Ke4 97. Qc2+ Ke3 98. Qc5+ Ke2 99. Qc2+ Ke1 100. Qc1+ Qd1 101. Qc6 Qe2+ 102. Kh3 Qe4 103. Qc1+ Kf2 104. Qd2+ Qe2 105. Qd4+ Kf1 106. Qa1+ Kf2 107. Qd4+ Qe3 108. Qb2+ Ke1 109. Qb1+ Kd2 110. Qb2+ Kd1 111. Qb1+ Qc1 112. Qd3+ Qd2 113. Qb1+ Ke2 114. Qh1 Qe1 115. Qd5 Qf1+ 116. Kh2 Qf2+ 117. Kh3 Qf1+ 118. Kh2 Qf3 119. Qc4+ Kf2 120. Qc5+ Qe3 121. Qc2+ Qe2 122. Qc6 Kf1+ 123. Kh3 Kg1 124. Qc5+ Qf2 125. Qc1+ Qf1+ 0 : 1. For after 126. Qxf1+ Kxf1 127. Kh2 Kf2 128. Kh3 Kg1 the curtain falls. And, as lentil notes, “Last Pawn move was at move 78; the game ended at 125. 居 (Jū) almost saved it”.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) (left) vs. 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) (right). Photo: cca.imsa.cn.

居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). Photo: cca.imsa.cn.

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). Photo: cca.imsa.cn.